Tampopo Kai

Tampopo Kai

Tampopo Kai

About Tampopo Kai

Tampopo Kai is a Japanese cultural program for preschoolers. Through various engaging activities such as singing, storytelling, and arts & crafts, children and their parents are exposed to the richness of the Japanese language and culture.

Topics that will be covered in Tampopo Kai classes are, but not limited to: Japanese holidays, customs, traditions; Japanese vocabulary words (e.g. colors, numbers, shapes, sizes, family members, greetings, seasons, weather, body parts); Japanese arts (songs, kamishibai-style Japanese storyboards, origami).

Class in April 2024

Click to unmute the video above and hear the class singing together. This class was in our temporary space before our new building opened.

The program is organized around three main ideas:

  1. Continue to present an impactful program that is responsive to the developmental needs of infants and toddlers.
  2. Encourage the appreciation of the Japanese language and culture through fun activities.
  3. Create an environment that nurtures positive self-identity by connecting participants to their ethnic heritage.

Who would be a good fit?

  • Children 5 years old and younger
  • Families interested in exposing their children to Japanese language, culture, and/or arts
  • Parents who want their children to develop and maintain a connection to their Japanese heritage
  • Parents who are looking for a tight-knit community of families raising multilingual children in the U.S.

2026 Summer Tampopo Kai Class Schedule

  • In Person Classes will be held on Saturdays for 90 minute sessions.
  • We are currently not offering online classes for Tampopo Kai. If you are interested in future online Tampopo classes, please email us at  programs@jasc-chicago.org and we will add you to a contact list when online events or classes are offered.

Summer Session 1 Registration is Now Open!

Click the button below to register for Summer Classes.

Summer Session 1 Classes 1 2 3 4 5 6
*Early Classes (In-person) at JASC 9 – 10:30 am CST 5/23 5/30 6/6 6/13 6/20 6/27
*Late Classes (In-person) at JASC 10:30 – 12:00 pm CST 5/23 5/30 6/6 6/13 6/20 6/27

If you have any questions, comments, or would like additional information,
please use the Inquiry Form to contact Naomi Sensei. She will get back to
you as soon as possible.

If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please submit your request
through the Inquiry Form as well.

Thank you for your interest!

Naomi Negi / Tampopo Kai

たんぽぽ会に質問のある方、特にお話のある方は、「Inquiry Form（質問
票）」にて　お問い合わせください。こちらからまた折り返し　お返事さ
せていただきます。よろしくお願い申し上げます。

たんぽぽ会　根宜直美

Click the photo for a video to learn more.

Trimming the Japan tree at the Museum of Science and Industry is a time-honored tradition for Tampopo-Kai families. Tampopo has been decorating the Japan tree with joy and pride for the Christmas Around the World exhibit since 1989.

JASC’s Tampopo Kai is planning to launch a new Japanese Immersion Class this fall.

We are offering a trial class!
This FREE class is for children ages 3–5.

When: Saturday, June 6th, 1:00 PM–2:00 PM
Where: JASC, 5700 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL
Activity room located on the Lower Level

The class offers the core Tampopo experience, including songs, exercise, weather time, educational activities, story time, and plus traditional Japanese children’s games, and sit-down writing activities that gradually introduce children to writing Hiragana, the Japanese alphabet. Craft sessions may also be introduced from time to time to enhance the learning experience.

This class is intended for children with prior exposure to Japanese in the home or through a bilingual environment. Unlike our introductory preschool class, instruction will take place primarily in Japanese, and students should be comfortable understanding simple spoken directions and participating in basic communication in Japanese. Japanese proficiency may vary among students, but this course is best suited for children who are not learning the language for the first time. Parent or caregiver familiarity with Japanese is encouraged to support the classroom experience.

Please email Naomi-sensei directly at tampopo@jasc-chicago.org to RSVP in advance.

日本語たんぽぽ会の無料体験クラスを開催します！
対象：3〜5歳のお子さま（参加費無料）

日時：6月6日（土）午後1:00〜2:00
場所：JASC（5700 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL）
地下階（Lower Level）アクティビティルーム

クラスでは、 たんぽぽならではの基本的なプログラム（ 歌、体操、お天気タイム、知育活動、読み聞かせ、日本の伝統的な子どもの遊びなど　毎週のものから　週ごとに紹介など）に加え、ひらがなの文字練習へとつながる　机で鉛筆の時間などを組み込んでいます。毎週ではないのですが　季節や行事によって　クラフト紹介もあります。

本クラスは、ご家庭やバイリンガル環境などで、すでに日本語に触れる機会のあるお子さまを対象としています。日本語入門向けのプリスクールクラスとは異なり、授業は主に日本語で行われるため、簡単な指示を理解し、日本語で基本的なやり取りに参加できることが望まれます。日本語力には個人差があっても構いませんが、日本語を初めて学ぶお子さま向けのクラスではありません。また、保護者または付き添いの方にも日本語へのある程度の理解があると、よりスムーズにクラスにご参加いただけます。

参加をご希望の方は、事前にNaomi先生（tampopo@jasc-chicago.org）まで直接メールにてお申し込みください。

Frequently Asked Questions

Tampopo Kai is currently only offered In-Person on Saturdays. Times are listed in the class schedule above.

Not at all! We encourage parents to bring their babies to let them hear spoken Japanese. We sing many Japanese children’s songs and read Japanese stories alongside simultaneous English translation. It is a great opportunity to immerse the child in the Japanese language.

Not at all! Tampopo Kai welcomes families of all backgrounds who are interested in Japanese culture and language. Our program is designed for anyone who wishes to introduce their children to a new culture, build bilingual skills from an early age, and connect with a warm, supportive community. We celebrate diversity and believe that a fully inclusive Tampopo Kai community helps us share a deeper love for Japanese culture, language, and traditions.

Yes please! Tampopo Kai is geared towards children 5 years old and younger so a parent or guardian must attend alongside their children. For online class, we ask parents to assist with accessing the Zoom link and managing the on/off of microphones. It’s an enriching experience for the whole family!

Tampopo Kai exposes children to the Japanese language, but it is not explicitly a language class. Basic Japanese vocabulary words are taught with supplemental explanations in English. Tampopo Kai is more of a cultural program rather than a language program.

Donguri Kai is a program for grade school and older students.
Students must have started kindergarten in the fall. It is not the age, but more importantly, the grade that they are in.
The biggest reason why we do not allow preschool age students to join Donguri Kai is that the learning style is completely different.

*The student must be able to sit for an hour,
*Use a pencil with appropriate pressure/strength,
*Raise their hands and wait for their turn,
*Must be emotionally mature enough to handle classroom stress on their own.

They may lose in a bingo game. They may have to wait a while for their turn to be called. There are many things that grade school students learn to do once they start kindergarten. Little Kids Beginners 1 class, we use workbooks to practice hiragana, make sentences, repeat words from the books, and must have the stamina to be able to do so for an hour.

About Naomi Negi, Instructor of Tampopo Kai

Originally from Osaka, Japan, “Naomi Sensei,” as she’s known by the community, has been involved with Tampopo Kai as its instructor since 1987. She first became involved with Tampopo Kai due to her strong desire for her three children, who were all born and raised in the US, to build and maintain a connection to their Japanese heritage. She has dedicated 35+ years of her life to creating engaging lesson plans for multiple generations of multicultural children. Outside of instructing Tampopo Kai, she keeps busy as a cultural artist visiting schools, libraries, and museums running workshops and demonstrations of Japanese cultural arts, and remaining connected with the Tampopo alumni community.

For her many years of achievement and leadership, and her dedicated service in the communities we live, work, and play in, Naomi received an “Exemplary Community Service” Award at the 2018 Asian American Lunar New Year Celebration. She has also received a Cultural Achievement Award in 2023 from the Japan America Society of Chicago.